Everything started with one idea: meeting people with Down syndrome from all over the world.
Who am I? My name is Edward and I was born in Switzerland in 1992 less than two years after my sister Victoria who has Down syndrome. Second child of a family of four, I have always lived in an international environment speaking both English and French at home with the rest of the family. I have had the chance to have lived in the United States, Switzerland, France (where I finished school) before heading to Argentina for a gap year to study Spanish. I then decided to study business at the Complutense University in Madrid and I have been living here for almost 9 years now. I have worked in fashion, organised events for known brands in a luxury communication agency in Madrid, was a marketing and communication director for a French political party before working in luxury tourism as a Guest Relations Manager for a few years taking care of VIP clients in both Spain and Portugal.
Living with a person with Down syndrome is not always easy but they have so much love to give that they deserve more time and attention.
Traveling is one of my passions and I have already been to 42 countries. From the altiplano in the Bolivian Andes, Soweto in South Africa, the DMZ in Korea or the beautiful landscape of Svalbard, I have always enjoyed meeting people and sharing moments with them even though I did not speak their language. I truly believe in human relations and that by mixing cultures, languages and different points of view, us humans can achieve great things together. I also believe in respect, diversity, equal rights and always try to the understand different ways of seeing life even if I don't always agree.
How did I come up with the idea of the D2020 World Project?
Every time I come back from a trip, my sister always asks me if there are people with Down syndrome living in those countries. I had always thought it would be a good idea to somehow connect them and I am sure that it would surprise more than one to know that other people "like them" live thousands of kilometres away. Some kids with Down syndrome are sometimes isolated from the World for many reasons but I have always thought that by making them realise that they were not alone, they would want to connect to an unknown world that they would have so much to give to.
Before creating this project I was a Guest Relations Manager in a luxury tourism agency, always attending the needs of clients during their VIP experience around Spain and Portugal. I have always liked helping people but I had reached a point where I was helping people that were sometimes not grateful for the help given to them. I therefore got frustrated knowing that there are so many people in this world that actually need help and that by dedicating a bit of time you could change their worlds... and they could change mine.
Living with a person with Down syndrome is not always easy but they have so much love to give that they deserve more time and attention. I have learned a lot by seeing people with Down syndrome working in places such as Starbucks and I believe that by integrating them in our society we can make them feel less different and more importantly, realise that they are capable of many things!
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